Tottenham Hotspur have drawn up a list of alternative managerial options to Ange Postecoglou, with the Australian under mounting pressure at N17 amid a very disappointing second Premier League campaign in charge.
Tottenham crash out of domestic cups as critics call for Postecoglou sacking
In the space of a few days, Spurs crashed out of both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup respectively, after being hammered by Liverpool at Anfield and falling short away to Aston Villa.
Postecoglou's extensive absentee list has been a point of serious debate, with a plethora of key first-team players consistently unavailable since mid-November, in what is considered one of the worst injury crises we've witnessed in recent campaigns.
Guglielmo Vicario, Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero - the backbone of Spurs' team - have been out for long periods alongside a host of other pivotal players. This has undoubtedly crippled the Lilywhites, but critics make a stern case that results simply need to be better regardless.
Postecoglou now faces a mammoth test at home to Man United, and another crucial 90 minutes when it comes to determining his long-term suitability for the Spurs dugout.
"The pressure will only get more intense, and I think that’s when he’ll be sacked, if players come back from injuries and there isn’t an immediate turnaround in form. That’s what they’re expecting and hoping for – players to come back and results to improve," said former Tottenham scout Mick Brown this week (Football Insider).
“If it doesn’t happen, the blame will be placed on the manager. They’ve put so much emphasis on these injured players, so they’re willing to stick with him until he gets them back into the team.
“But if they come back and things don’t go well, it doesn’t bode well for Postecoglou’s position.”
Thomas Frank ready to leave Brentford as Tottenham target him
According to TEAMtalk, Postecoglou's potential sacking is edging "closer" after their torrid cup results, and Brentford manager Thomas Frank is one of the options they're considering as his potential replacement - should they decide to pull the plug.
Previous reports indicate that Frank is one of Spurs' top managerial targets if Postecoglou leaves, and this is echoed again by TEAMtalk, who also share the Dane's stance on leaving his current club this year.
The outlet reports that Frank is ready to leave Brentford for his next challenge at the end of the season, so if chairman Daniel Levy opts not to continue with Spurs' current head coach, they could have an opportunity to tempt the former with a move to north London.
The 51-year-old, who's done an impressive job at Brentford on a shoe-string budget, is highly regarded by those within Spurs - and he's apparently an option they looked at to replace Antonio Conte before they decided to hire Postecoglou.